Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people,
not only as a tool for communication, education, social
integration and development, but also as a repository for
each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions
and memory. But despite their immense value, languages
around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate.With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019
The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order
to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit
the people who speak these languages, but also for
others to appreciate the important contribution they make
to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people,
not only as a tool for communication, education, social
integration and development, but also as a repository for
each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions
and memory. But despite their immense value, languages
around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate.With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019
The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order
to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit
the people who speak these languages, but also for
others to appreciate the important contribution they make
to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people,
not only as a tool for communication, education, social
integration and development, but also as a repository for
each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions
and memory. But despite their immense value, languages
around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate.With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019
The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order
to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit
the people who speak these languages, but also for
others to appreciate the important contribution they make
to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people,
not only as a tool for communication, education, social
integration and development, but also as a repository for
each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions
and memory. But despite their immense value, languages
around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate.With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019
The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order
to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit
the people who speak these languages, but also for
others to appreciate the important contribution they make
to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people,
not only as a tool for communication, education, social
integration and development, but also as a repository for
each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions
and memory. But despite their immense value, languages
around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate.With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019
The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order
to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit
the people who speak these languages, but also for
others to appreciate the important contribution they make
to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people, not only as a tool for communication, education, social integration and development, but also as a repository for each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions and memory. But despite their immense value, languages around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate. With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019 The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit the people who speak these languages, but also for others to appreciate the important contribution they make to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

Languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people,
not only as a tool for communication, education, social
integration and development, but also as a repository for
each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions
and memory. But despite their immense value, languages
around the world continue to disappear at an alarming rate.With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019
The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) in order
to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit
the people who speak these languages, but also for
others to appreciate the important contribution they make
to our world’s rich cultural diversity.

peace

rights

inclusion

Social inclusiveness, literacy, poverty reduction and international cooperation

diversity

Cultural values, diversity and heritage

7

thousand

Languages spokenworldwide

370

million

Indigenous people in the world

90

countries

With indigenous communities

5

thousand

Different indigenous cultures

2680

languages

In danger

About IYIL2019

Languages play an important role in the daily lives of all people.

It is through language that we communicate with the world, define our identity, express our history and culture, learn, defend our human rights and participate in all aspects of society, to name but a few. Through language, people preserve their community’s history, customs and traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking, meaning and expression.They also use it to construct their future.

Language is pivotal in the areas of human rights protection, good governance, peace building, reconciliation, and sustainable development.

Increase the capacity

The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined.

Get Involved

We hope actions taken during IYIL2019 will generate as much interest and positive change as possible for indigenous languages and those who speak them.

It is with this in mind that we invite you to get involved in making the year a success. The survival and robustness of indigenous languages plays a vital role in the sustainable development of the communities that speak them.

As such, events taking place during IYIL2019 should take into account the three main themes of the year which encompass both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Indigenous languages matter for social, economic and political development, peaceful coexistence and reconciliation in our societies. Yet many of them are in danger of disappearing. It is for this reason that the United Nations declared 2019 the Year of Indigenous Languages in order to encourage urgent action to preserve, revitalize and promote them.